Podcasting from Pro Tour–Austin

Rich HagonFriday, October 16, 2009

et Richard Hagon be your guide through Pro Tour–Austin, the third Pro Tour of the 2009 season. If you're not a regular reader of event coverage, this is a great starting place to learn the top players and storylines that have shaped this season. With exclusive player interviews, analysis of deckbuilding strategies, explanations of formats and the PT season, and much more, it's a cornucopia of information.

PRO TOUR–AUSTIN

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You can listen to each segment in the player to the right, or you can click on the link to listen to the file in your browser or right-click Save As to download to your computer. If you have iTunes installed on your computer, click here and you'll be directed to the Magic: The Gathering podcast in the iTunes directory.

Rich Hagon grabbed winner Brian Kibler for an in-depth interview moments after the Dragonmaster defeated Tsuyoshi Ikeda in a final. After a four-year absence from the game, Kibler has now made back-to-back Top 8s and put his name in the discussion for next year's Hall of Fame class.

With this being the last round of Booster Draft, the two best players in each pod of eight face off for the honor of being the king of the pod. Jonathan Melamed of Brazil faced the Malaysian Kin Leong Chong, with both players on 24 points, looking to move to 9-2. Further up the chain, Shouta Yasooka of Japan took his 25 points to battle Marcel Zafra of Canada, who sits on 27. Finally, the top of the table clash came with Canadian David Felske facing the Czech pro Martin Juza, both already at 27 points. In a wickedly fast format, expect huge swings and a stack of games where land really does matter.

The pace at any Pro Tour is frantic, and the rollercoaster ride makes for a heady mix of near-misses and massive topdecks. It's also a great way to see players at their limit, pushed right to the edge by a desire to come out on top. On the other hand, it's hard to find the time to just kick back with people, and find out a little bit more about them, and what makes them tick. That's what this show is about, as we take some time out to talk with three very different players, all linked by the three letters MTG: Tom Reeve, Marijn Lybaert, and Jonathan Pearlman.

Three blistering matches make up our second set of audio feature matches. On 10 points, World Champion Antti Malin of Finland goes up against Jan Ruess, the German runner-up from Pro Tour-Hollywood. On 13 points, the undefeated Japanese duo of Shouta Yasooka and Yuuya Watanabe–the former the 2006 Player of the Year and the latter aspiring to the 2009 crown–go toe to toe in a match that featured one of the more astonishing five-mana spells seen in recent times. And finally, in the pinnacle matchup, Hall of Famer Ben Rubin puts his 100% record on the line against the fastest man in Magic, Paulo Vitor Damo Da Rosa of Brazil. Breathless, breathtaking, catch-your-breath Magic, this is as it happens top of the range fare. Ears into overdrive!

Later Friday, Zendikar Booster Draft takes center stage, but there's the small matter of five rounds of Extended first. What will this exciting format look like? Just a few Tier One decks? Or will variety and innovation be the order of the day? Let's find out, as we get the show underway with a veritable feast of player interviews direct from the action. Think you know Extended? Check this out!

You can also access previous studio podcasts by visiting the Podcast Archive.

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